The present invention relates to an apparatus for use with a connector. In particular the present invention relates to an apparatus that permits a user to actuate a connector, such as a fiber optic connector, located in a difficult to access area.
The use of optical fibers for high-volume, high-speed communication is well established. For example, the design of traditional electronic cabinets has been altered to accommodate optical and opto-electronic devices. In traditional cabinet designs, the cabinet is generally a box having a back side of a front panel and plurality of daughter cards, which are generally parallel to each other. Each daughter card typically has a face plate that may contain a coupling having at least one port. In one application, terminated fiber optic connectors are installed into the couplings. Interconnection of optical fibers, i.e., the data transport medium, occurs when the terminated fiber optic connectors are mated together in the coupling or, more generally, when optical devices containing terminated optical fibers are mated in the couplings.
Today, as the real estate in cabinets and daughter cards become increasingly valuable, in some applications, the connectors are forced to be located in difficult to access areas, i.e., areas with very limited space for an individual to access.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a connector designed for use in difficult to access areas.